In a magnetic data storage and retrieval system, a magnetic head typically includes a writer portion for storing magnetically encoded information on a magnetic media and a reader portion for retrieving the magnetically encoded information from the magnetic media. To write data to the magnetic media, an electrical current is caused to flow through a conductive coil to induce a magnetic field in a write pole. By reversing the direction of the current through the coil, the polarity of the data written to the magnetic media is also reversed. The writing performance of the writer pole and the areal density achieved by the writer pole depend upon the magnetic moment generated by the writer pole.